From an Isa to a bottle of plonk: Five things you didn’t know you could get paid to buy

With household budgets stretched to breaking point, families are turning to discount codes and vouchers like never before to make their cash go further.

But even these savvy savers could be missing a trick by ignoring cashback websites, which can be one of the easiest ways to cut the cost of a variety of purchases - including household bills.

This is Money has picked out five things you might be surprised to know could earn you cashback: savings accounts, beauty products, broadband, holidays and wine. Use all five and you could save a whopping £465 every year.

Surprise savings: Cashback can help claw back the cost of almost anything, from a bottle of wine, a family holiday or even to start a savings habit

How do they work?

Online cashback companies pay out every time a shopper uses its website to buy a product.

Getting started is easy. All you need to do is sign up for a cashback account. There are a number of sites out there, but TopCashback and Quidco tend to offer the best choice and highest-paying deals.

Both offer slightly different rates so it is worth signing up and bookmarking them both - they are free to join.

Once signed up, all shoppers need to do is add an extra step into their buying routine.

Search and compare products to buy online just as you normally would, for example, you might do a Google product search.

But instead of buying through the merchant - for example a broadband deal from Sky or supermarket shop from Tesco - visit your cashback site first and search the site for 'Sky' or 'Tesco'.

If you're in luck, you'll find a deal. This is usually a percentage, in cashback, on whatever you spend.

Clicking through the link provided allows the cashback site to track any actions on the retailer's website, registering if a transaction has been made.

Watch out as it can be easy to confuse the tracking process, so make sure to buy through the new window that opens when you click the specified link on the cashback site.

You will also want to avoid having any other pages of the seller's website open at the same time.

It can also be a good idea to clear your computer's cookies in your browser settings before starting the process, as any previous visits to the same retailer may confuse the tracking, meaning no cashback.

How long does it take to earn?

Cashback is certainly not for the impatient; payouts can take up to three months to show in buyers' online wallets. But for little effort the returns can be huge.

Once the money hits the online account, it can be transferred into a customer's own bank or swapped for vouchers. Money can even be redeemed in Avios or Tesco Clubcard points or moved to a PayPal account.

How do cashback sites turn a profit?

Cashback sites have commercial deals with the retailers listed on their sites, which means for every customer that clicks through and makes a transaction, it will be paid a referral fee or commission.

This is much the same as any other website that directs customers on to products or services for a fee, such as a comparison site or search engine, but with one key difference; cashback sites pay out a chunk of the money to shoppers.

Websites usually also make extra cash by selling advertising space on their websites, or offering paid-for memberships to those wanting extra perks such as fast payouts or higher earning potential.

DON'T FORGET - THE GOLDEN RULE OF CASHBACK

Although large payouts can be tempting, shoppers should see cashback as a bonus rather than a motivator for buying.

Hunting around for the cheapest deal should be the top priority as the savings from comparing the cheapest deals will likely outweigh any cashback earned.

Ready to give it a try? Below are five surprising products that can earn you cashback.

1. Earn money when you open a savings, Isa or current account

Getting your savings under control is on most people's to-do list.

But if you haven't got around to it yet, cashback might offer that extra incentive you needed to get going. Both Topcashback and Quidco are currently offering Isa deals that could earn you up to £126.

There are even a few deals for those opening a new savings or bank account.

According to Quidco, those that took out a stocks and shares Isa and switched their credit card and bank
account through the website earned an average of £155.

Topcashback

Shepherds Friendly: £126 for investing £15,000 into a stocks and shares Isa, plus a Love2shop voucher worth up to £30,

Fidelity: £105 for new customers investing £5,000 or more in its Flexible new Isa account for at least three months,

Nutmeg: £105 for investing between £5,000 and £10,000 into a stocks and shares Isa,

Family Investments Junior Isa: £78.75 for investments of £101 or more per month,

Fidelity Personal Investing: £100 for investing a minimum £5000 in an Isa,

Nutmeg: £140 for investing £15,000,

Nationwide FlexPlus Current Account: £35 cashback for an approved account successfully opened online

Money Dashboard: £12 for the syncing of one bank account,

Experian Credit Expert: £5 to sign up to a 30-day trial,

Santander: £35 for switching to the 123 Current Account.

Expensive habit: The costs of beauty products and toiletries soon piles up

2. For those beauty 'essentials'

Stocking the bathroom cabinet and refilling your make-up bag can be expensive, particularly if you consider that the average woman spends nearly £300 a year on beauty products, according to recent research from Superdrug.

Many of the big brands offer deals via either TopCashback or Quidco.

A major bonus is that cashback won't interfere with any rewards points earned or redeemed with an individual retailer. So you won't lose out on any discounts.

For example, those that collect Superdrug or Boots rewards points will be able to clock up points and cashback at the same time.

According to Quidco, shoppers can save up to 10 per cent by buying beauty products through its site, earning around £30 cashback on an annual spend of £300.

Topcashback

Weight Watchers: £30 when signing up to a new three-month plan,

Holland & Barrett: 12.6 per cent on all online purchases,

The Body Shop: 5.25 per cent on all new customer online purchases,

The Fragrance Shop: 7.87 per cent on all online purchases,

Wahanda: 11.55 per cent on all online beauty bookings.

SpaceNK UK: 6.3 per cent cashback on online purchases

Quidco

Boots: 8 per cent on health sales, 6 per cent on beauty care,

Body Shop: 7 per cent on new customer spending and 5 per cent for existing customers,

Feel Unique: 11 per cent on all spending,

Holland & Barrett: 10 per cent on all spending,

Weight Watchers: £30 when you join for a three month online plan.

Avon: 8 per cent cashback for all sales

3. Slash your broadband costs

Households hand over hundreds of pounds every year for their broadband, TV and phone packages in order to get the fastest speeds and best channel selections, which can end up being a serious drain on the family finances.

But with the best deals usually offered to tempt in new customers, shopping around and switching is the answer to a cheaper bill, saving up to £420 a year, according to comparison site Simplify Digital.

In addition to the savings, households could make back an extra £100 when buying via a cashback website, or more on packaged broadband, TV and phone deals.

BT's Infinity Broadband, TV and phone deal costs £563.88, but for those switching through Quidco, the cost effectively drops to £363.88 thanks to its £200 cashback offer.

TopCashback top rates

Virgin Media's Big Kahuna package: £115.50 cashback,

Tesco broadband and home phone: £36.75 cashback,

Sky broadband Unlimited without TV: £126
cashback.

Talk Talk Fibre broadband:£73.50 cashback

Quidco top rates

BT TV + Infinity Broadband and calls: Up to £200 cashback on top of a £60 Sainsbury's gift card,

Sky Digital TV & Broadband: £105 for standalone Fibre Unlimited,

Virgin Media: £125 cashback on the Big Daddy package.

EE Home Broadband: £130 cashback

Top tip: Remember this can also
be true of other household bills, with rewards paid for switching
your insurance policy, mobile phone providers and even energy suppliers.

For
example, Topcashback will pay £42 to anyone switching both gas and
electricity to First Utility while a switch to Aviva car insurance
through Quidco earns £60.

According
to Quidco, the average household could earn £179 for
using the site to switch their Broadband bundle, pay monthly phone contract and household insurance.

Rewarding habit: Settling back with a glass of wine and a takeaway has never been so tempting

4. Indulge with a glass of wine and cut the cost of a takeaway

As if it wasn’t already tempting enough to grab a takeaway and settle back with a nice glass of wine. Now you can actually earn money from indulging.

Both sites reward users when shopping online at most big supermarkets, offering a refund of up to 10 per cent of your bill.

There are also usually specific deals when ordering from supermarket wine departments or independent specialists. These pay back an average of 8 or 9 per cent.

Whether ordering your favourite wine for a quiet night in or splashing out for a big event, such as a wedding or family party, it could help cut the costs dramatically.

With the wine sorted, the only thing left is to order your takeaway.

Both sites pay for spending with Just Eat, a service that allows you to search and order from takeaways in your area online.

TopCashback also has a deal with Hungry House, another similar ordering site, and even Dominoes and Pizza Hut have cashback deals.

Although
average earnings will of
course depend on how much individual households spend, a £100 wine bill
would earn around £8 in cashback. It's not a huge saving, but it adds up
to a free bottle or two so it's not to be sniffed at.

Takeaway
cashback doesn't pay quite as well, as often the best deals are
reserved for new customers. But, according to Quidco, the
average household spend on takeaway each year would earn around £40.

TopCashback rates

Tesco Wine: 5.25 per cent cashback when buying a case of wine,

Vintage Wine Gifts: 7.87 per cent cashback on all online purchases,

Majestic Wine: 7.35 per cent cashback on all new customer purchases,

Just Eat: 6.3 per cent cashback on all new customer orders,

Domino’s: 3.15 per cent cashback on all new customer order plus get £5 off when spending £20 or more,

Hungryhouse: 4.2 per cent on all delivered orders.

Quidco

Just Eat: 6 per cent cashback for new customer sales,

Pizza Hut Delivery: 3 per cent cashback on top of existing deals,

Majestic Wine: 7 per cent cashback for new customer sales,

Waitrose Cellar: 6 per cent cashback on all sales,

Morrisons: £10 cashback for genuine new grocery orders over £100,

ASDA: £12 cashback on new customer orders over £60.

5. Keep the kids entertained and save on a summer holiday

With the long stretch of summer holidays ahead, keeping the kids entertained with days out and fun activities can be both exhausting and expensive.

Add to that the cost of booking a summer break for the family and it is enough to break any budget.

Using discounts, group bookings and vouchers can be a great way to cut costs - but hassled parents can save a bundle by visiting one of the cashback websites before buying tickets.

The same tactic can be applied to booking holiday packages, flights and hotel stays, saving an average of £53 a year according to Quidco.

Top tip: Holidaymakers can even find deals on car hire and airport parking.

USE YOUR MOBILE TO BOOST YOUR EARNINGS

Both Quidco and Topcashback have their own mobile apps with extra features to help boost earnings.

Quidco users can activate exclusive in-store cashback through its standard app which they can earn by registering a debit or credit card and paying in stores. It also allows you to check in to stores to earn money without even having to spend.

It also has a separate ClickSnap app that earns cashback on supermarket spending when users upload a picture of their receipt using a smartphone camera.

Topcashback’s Snap & Save feature allows you to do the same thing. Its app also has a useful feature to direct you to retailers where its discount vouchers can be used.

If snapping a picture of your receipt to earn extra money sounds appealing to you, dedicated savers could also consider both the Shopitize and MySuperlist app.

These are aimed at supermarket spending paying a flat rate if you have bought certain products.